For voters from immigrant families and new citizens, voting is bigger than themselves

Nicole Solis-Sison moved to America when she was seven years old. Her parents and immediate family were fleeing the Philippine government and sought asylum in the U.S. When they landed in Los Angeles, Solis-Sison thought their stay would be temporary.

Eventually, once things calmed down in her home country, they would return. "The Philippine government pursued us in international immigration territory and demanded that we be sent back," she told NPR. That's when an agent with the then-Immigration and Naturalization Services agency — which has since been renamed Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE — showed up to her house.

They were prepared to be deported. But after the agent interviewed her family, they weren't packing their bags back to Manila. "This particular INS [Immigration and Naturalization Services] agent suggested that we should file for asylum, given that we were on U.S. soil," Solis-Sison said.

An immigration agent, Solis-Sison said, gave her family the tools needed to stay in the U.S. legally. Earlier this year, after more than two decades navigating the immigration system, she became an American citizen. Now, at the age of 34, Solis-Sison is voting in her very first election in New York City.

"This is like such a milestone year for me that I'm a first time voter. I created my own voter guide and voter diary," she said. Many young voters, including Solis-Sison, are worried about their future.

Will they be able to buy a home? How will they pay off their student loans? Is it economical to start a family?